The January sales are somewhat of an institution but for me, it's more like December, January, February and possibly beyond. I'm always excited by sale season, it's a chance to grab the items I've been after for a lower price and find a few unexpected pieces to push my style. I started bookmarking items I liked before Christmas and watched each one by one the moment they reached a reasonable price that I didn't think would get any lower. I bought everything online except for the A.P.C coat and satchel and it was a thoroughly pleasant experience all around. Just in case the amount of stuff is freaking you out, this was all bought over the course of 6 weeks with much internal debate in my head and occasionally with enabler-extraordinaire Olivia. It's true that blogging has not helped my shopping addiction, we regularly tweet links to the stuff we buy or are not sure about buying, which usually results in buying them anyway and thinking about the next hit. We have a strange way of justifying things, such as thinking that having four pairs of wooden sandals is okay because they are different colours and that stripy tops are exempt from any sort of rule as every stripe is different. Since today was so dreary, I cranked up the ISO on my camera and snapped a few things I've bought to hopefully see me through the entire year.
Antipodium Teesdale Dress, Paul & Joe Sister Indienne dress, Free People Floral Lace Mesh Dress
I'm always in need of 'easy dressses', the kind you can just throw on without a thought and go about your day feeling halfway decent. Each of these dresses is the result of a long online wishlist love affair and they've been in the back of my mind each time there was some sort of reduction-fest going on. The Paul and Joe sister dress obsession started after seeing these posts and I even ordered it back in October before freaking out about the cost and sending it straight back. With an extra Asos discount (thanks Lucy) I discovered a colour that suits me a little better and a more bearable price. Although loose fitting dresses are not flattering in the Gok Wan school of fashion, there's something I just love about their ease and I can even belt this one if I want to remind people that I have a waist. The Antipodium dress was first spotted in Brighton and stalked online ever since, it may partly be another Little Black Dress but the sheer back and sleeves give it a strong point of difference. The last lacy number is unashamedly an LBD and will be my failsafe going out dress, something that is very rare these days and may result in stumbling across a random boy band member. I'm also looking forward to wearing it in Summer with some chunky sandals I've already earmarked.
Whistles Sporty Foulard Trousers, White Cambridge Satchel, Bex Rox ribbon bracelet, Whistles Capucine belt, White Chocolate Polka Dot Shorts
I really embraced my trouser-wearing side in 2012 and bought these slinky Whistles trews to see me through another year of patterned legs. Hopefully these will make waiting for warmer weather more bearable, I always threw on my H&M floral pair with a jumper whenever the heavens looked like they were going to be open for business. The belt is a useful addition to my collection and the bracelet now helps my 'arm party' to consist of, well, two. I'm still working on it. I discovered White Chocoolate through Kingdom of Style and had these spotty culottes in my basket for a while. In fact there are always spotty things in my basket but these made it through the checkout purely for their childlike nature and practicality during the windy Summer months. The Cambridge Satchel was a bit of an unexpected purchase that I made after popping into the Covent Garden shop and seeing this perfect white style for a teeny £49. I seem to have satchels from all the other brands except this one which is surprising as I really love the story behind the company. Fingers crossed that I'll be popping to an event at the store this week to meet the founder Julie Dearne herself and hopefully get some tips on how I can start my empire.
Boutique by Jaeger Knitted Varsity Jacket, Asos Leopard Print Coat, Asos Oversized Denim Jacket
Now onto the jackets! You may already know that I treated myself to an A.P.C coat but luckily everything else was a little more reasonable. All three of these represent a little bit of risk taking on my part. For starters, I've never really worn leopard print and even went as far as creating a project to make it into more likeable and less Bet Lynch in my Foundation year. Still, time has a habit of convincing me about such things and finding this cosy coat for around 80% off is the perfect way to ease me in gently. The base isn't too dark and I'm told by my Mum that it feels real. I'm not sure how much more leopard I'll be letting into my life after this though the Stella McCartney (or H&M in my case) way of doing things is rather tempting. I wasn't sure about the varsity jacket trend when they started popping up on blogs but I've since realised that they are the perfect antidote if you're bored of your current cardigan situation. I know that jumpers are having their moment, which I'm ecstatic about but this makes it all the harder to find the perfect cardigans that are a necessity if you work in an office with a temperamental climate. I like the proportions of these outfits, where the sporty association isn't so blatant. The oversized denim jacket does a similar job, I've started wearing it underneath coats as I'm sick of waiting for appropriate weather and hope that it makes me look artfully layered.
Have you bought much in the sales this year? There's not much left around now, but I'm still tempted by this Acne jumper, a charity J.W Anderson tee and the paisley Tatty Devine necklace. In fact I've just noticed that the last necklace has been reduced once again. Houston, I think we have a problem...
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